Comments Off on The Indian startup pioneering new battery swapping system for country’s electric buses

One of the hassles associated with electric vehicles is how long it takes to charge them. But in India , an energy infrastructure startup has partnered with the country’s second biggest truck manufacturer to pioneer a solution: a battery swapping system. They’ll start with electric buses , which could stop at stations reminiscent of today’s petrol pumps to swap out batteries and avoid having to spend a lot of time charging. Vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland has partnered with startup SUN Mobility to develop the battery swapping system first for intra-city buses, potentially followed by delivery trucks, inter-city buses, and long-haul trucks, according to Ashok Leyland CEO Vinod Dasari. Related: India to only sell electric cars by 2030 SUN Mobility has been working on the system with Stanford University-trained engineer Chetan Maini, who designed India’s first electric car Reva, at the helm. Their smart battery system can reportedly power a variety of electric vehicles. According to their website, they aim to shake up transportation with an “open-architecture ecosystem built around a smart network of quick interchange battery stations,” which Quartz India said will be powered by renewable energy . SUN Mobility’s ultimate goal is lofty: refuel electric vehicles even cheaper and faster than cars can fill up at gas stations today. The partnership follows India’s plan to sell only electric vehicles by 2030 , recently announced by energy minister Piyush Goyal. At that time, he said the government would invest in charging infrastructure, and even pointed to the potential of battery swapping systems. Government advisor Ashok Jhunjhunwala said in a June lecture swappable batteries would need to be a key component of India’s push to put more electric cars on the road. The expense of batteries is prohibitive for many, but he said, “…we’ll start buying vehicles without battery. For example, if I want to buy a bus or a three-wheeler, I’ll buy it without [the] battery but with enhanced [vehicle] efficiency.” In such a system, with high efficiency vehicles and swappable batteries, costs per kilometer could potentially be lowered until they’re on par with gas-guzzling cars. Via Quartz India Images via Wikimedia Commons and shankar s. on Flickr

Comments Off on Porsche’s new EV chargers top up Mission E batteries by 80% in 15 minutes

We’re still about two years away from the arrival of the Porsche Mission E electric car, but Porsche has already started installing the 800-volt chargers that will power it. The automaker recently installed two 800-volt chargers in Berlin that have the ability to recharge an EV’s batteries up to 80 percent in a mere 15 minutes. The 350kW chargers are twice as powerful as the 145kW chargers that Tesla’s Supercharger network uses. Although Porsche’s new charging stations, Tesla refuses to be out done, since Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk recently stated that its future charging network will make the 350kW charger look like a “children’s toy.” Related: Porsche is moving ahead with their Tesla rival ‘Mission E’ electric car Since the Mission E is still at least two years away, the good news is that the Porsche’s new chargers do have the ability to charge lower-powered EVs. While we wait for the Mission E, Porsche does offer plug-in hybrid versions of the Porsche Cayenne and Panamera. Porsche is also installing similar chargers in Atlanta. Porsche has yet to reveal the production version of the Mission E , but when it arrives it will be one of the most significant Model S rivals. The Mission E will feature two electric motors that generate around 600 horsepower and a driving range over 300 miles. + Porsche Via Trusted Reviews Images @Porsche

Comments Off on The world’s fastest charging electric bus powers up in 10 seconds flat

The world’s fastest-charging electric bus , which takes as little as 10 seconds to completely recharge, is now in service in the coastal city of Ningbo, China. The bus, manufactured in Ningbo by China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Corporation (CSR), has made its debut on a 24-stop, 7-mile route around the city. Though each charge only allows the bus to run for about three miles, the lightning-fast charging time means the bus can recharge at many of its stops along the route. Read the rest of The world’s fastest charging electric bus powers up in 10 seconds flat

Comments Off on Google gives free electric community shuttle buses to Mountain View

Thanks to Google , residents of its hometown of Mountain View, California can now get around the city on electric shuttles—for free. Google provided funding and teamed up with Motiv Power Systems to add four new electric shuttle buses to the city’s fleet, which will help move people around the city more effectively. The buses are part of a two-year pilot program aimed at moving residents and visitors through the city in a way that reduces drive-alone traffic, while helping residents get around more effectively via a loop route. Read the rest of Google gives free electric community shuttle buses to Mountain View Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: battery pack , California , electric bus , electric motor , Google , Google electric shuttle , Google shuttle , green bus , green car , green transportation , Motiv Power Systems , mountain view

Comments Off on BYD’s All-Electric Bus Sets a New Record with 200 Mile Journey Around Copenhagen

An electric bus recently set a new record for the longest journey on a single charge in Denmark, when it managed to drive more than 200 miles while traveling its normal route. BYD , the Chinese company that makes the bus, said that the e-bus exceeded the previous best performance set by one of its vehicles during the company’s European trials. As an added bonus, the record also smashes the official distance record of 155 miles for an all-electric bus. Read the rest of BYD’s All-Electric Bus Sets a New Record with 200 Mile Journey Around Copenhagen Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: 200-mile electric vehicle journey , bus travels 200 miles on a single charge , BYD , BYD electric bus , Chinese electric bus , Copenhagen bus sets new electric vehicle record , Denmark , ebus , green transportation , new distance record for an electric bus